1 Chapter 1

I was an average guy with an average life. There was a time when I dreamt of being someone great. I even tried hard to achieve it.

I was an aspiring cricket player and I was a mind blowing all rounder. There was even a time when everyone would call me 'The Magician' because of my ability to throw any type of ball.. Fast, swing, leg spin, out spin.. you name it. Along with that I was an excellent batsman.

But my dreams and life were destroyed by money and the man it belonged to whose son was my rival.

The man destroyed my future as a cricketer. He bribed my trainer to sabotage my blood and urine tests and got me banned for life.

I couldn't even get a proper job because of my drug record. The only way left for me to survive was to become a worker on a landlord's farm.

Life.. was not worth it anymore. I distanced myself from my family and lived as a complete loner.

It was a cold night and I had just finished watering the farmland. The bonfire beside which I was resting was the only source of warmth in my miserable life.

Without even realising, I fell asleep.

A sudden stinging pain in my leg caused me to scream and wake up. Through my bleary eyes, I could only make out something slithering away as the pain in my leg intensified.

By the time I realised what had happened I was flailing on the ground with white foam coming out of my mouth. It was a bad way to die and I couldn't be happier.

'Miserable end for my miserable life... how fitting.'

I suddenly gained conciousness as my eyelids twitched.

I felt so tired.. I was barely able to open my eyes as I heard chatter around me in a language I couldn't understand. Once I could see clearly, the shock struck me like lightning. The people around me were gigantic!

'What the hell!? I am a guy with perfectly average height! These make me seem like a lilliput!!'

Then, a young woman with soft and delicate features noticed that I was awake.

I began panicking and was unable to think of a way to escape. I flailed my weak limbs around and tried to call for help but the only voice that escaped my mouth was..

"Gyaaaa.. Waaa..!? Gaaaaahhh...!!!?"

Forget the earlier shock... This was what felt like lightning striking me.. that too directly to the balls.

The young woman who was probably my new mother got concerned and picked me up. She began singing a soothing lullaby in an attempt to calm me down.

'I'm a baby!! A bed wetting, spit bubble blowing, breast milk drinking baby who has no control over his bowels!! I don't wanna shit my underpants every other hour!!!'

My new mother got even more worried and stripped me down, checking if I had peed myself or shat in the diapers. Then, she said something which made everyone else leave the room, leaving me with her, alone.

The next thing I know, she was putting the diaper back on and lifting her blouse up to feed me some milk.

'Hey! Lady! Have some shame!!'

If I wasn't a baby at that time I would definitely be having an erection.

'Nice and supple, healthily tanned, perky... my so called dad is a lucky fucking bastard.'

I stopped crying and saw that she had stopped worrying. Instead, she was smiling.

In the end, I decided to just... roll with it and suckled on her teet, nibbing and rolling my tongue on her erect nipple.

"Unnhh!!"

'That... I made her moan... Either I am very good or my so called dad is a loser... I think it's the latter.'

I could tell she was shocked given how her body tensed up after that moan escaped her lips.

"Kore wa kore made ni okotta koto wa arimasen. Seijōdesu ka?" (TL: This has never happened before. Is it normal?)

I immediately recognised the language. It was japanese. In my surprise, I nibbled a little harder that elicited another moan from her and she threw her head back in pleasure.

"Ahnnhnnhh!!"

"Watashi wa suisoku shimasu.. Sore wa amari kimyōde wanaideshou." (TL: I guess.. it won't be too weird.)

She said and sat down on a chair with me still attached to her nipple and sighed with contentment.

'Woman!! Don't you dare make yourself feel good while feeding your baby!! That's disgusting and wrong on so many levels!!'

Fortunately, she didn't. But she enjoyed it fully. On both of her breasts. I didn't hold back either. I suckled on her nipples till they were raw. I was so hungry that I drained her of every ounce of milk in her breasts.

I don't think I should be proud of it but I left her glossy eyed and panting.

A downside of.. whatever that was... left my jaw hurting and I got sleepy.

The woman gently cleaned my saliva off her breasts as she shivered from the touch on her still sensitive nipples. She pulled her blouse down and was about to hug me when my so called father barged in and snatched me from her arms.

The brute had the audacity to grin like a lunatic and twirl me around. The nice lady whom I gave a wonderful foreplay shouted at him, worry clearly etched on her face but the brute kept on twirling me.

In retaliation, I puked my guts out on his face! Sadly, for him, his mouth was open and so, I had directly vomited into his mouth.

His expression was unforgettable.

After that incident and another one when I pooped on my grandfather's bald head, mom was the only one who would hold me and I was happier than ever.

Every single day till I was too big to feed from her breasts, mom would have the time of her life. I even got so good that she had to change her garments after she had fed me.

She was devastated when I stopped feeding from her. But it couldn't be helped. A grown ass boy suckling at his mother's breasts is just.. wrong.

Aside from that, I learnt that my name was Sawamura Eijun. It was somewhat familiar. Like I had heard or read that name somewhere in my previous life.

I ignored it at the beginning. But it all became too much for a mere coincidence when I began going to Kindergarten and met Aotsuki Wakana. Also the fact that I had watched highschool baseball nationals that had various schools participating in it. The name Seido High struck my mind like a whip.

I realised at that very moment that I was in the fictional world of Diamond no Ace.

That day when I returned to my room to take a nap, I recalled my life when I was an aspiring cricketer.

The flame of a dreamer was reignited in me and it blazed like wildfire.

'Japan may not have cricket.. doesn't mean I can't be a great sportsman. Watch out, baseballers, I'm gonna leave you all in the dust.'

(PLAYBALL!)

"Eijun-kun! You'll be too tired for the next game if you keep running any longer!"

"Don't worry, Wakana-chan! I have enough stamina left to run cross country!!"

That was after I had been running for two hours.

In my previous life, I had read about it as something recreational. But eventually, it happened to me. I was reincarnated into a fictional world and like many other protagonists of their stories, I too got a blessing that gave me an edge over the rest of the world.

I was given the power of Haki. Yes, that haki. The one that made an old man like Monkey D. Garp feared in all seas in the universe of One Piece.

I had all three forms of haki but only observation was in it's best form. Armament and Conqueror's haki were highly diminished and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't improve them. Still, it made me a lot stronger. If I were to compare, then I was comparable to Captain America from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I didn't have his physique or strength but if I were to actually fight him, I could last a fair bit of time.

In terms of observation haki, I was not of Katakuri's level yet but I knew that it wasn't a faraway goal to reach.

Just like in canon, our school was going to be demolished. I had pulled the team to the finals but baseball isn't a one man game. One player wasn't enough to pull the team through and everyone knew it.

I liked the friends of canon Sawamura. Throughout the years of us playing together and going to the same school, I had come to consider them as my dear friends too. So, I tried my utmost to pull the team as far into the tournament as I could.

Turning my face, I stupidly grinned towards Wakana as she sighed and shook her head in defeat.

Wakana was a worrywart when it came to me. I was a training junkie and she would always worry for my health. We were the closest of friends. But I knew better. Children are much easier to read than adults.

I liked talking to her. Since she was my earliest friend in this life, it gave us more time to spend together. I never had a girl or a woman as a friend in my previous life so it was different to have one, in a very nice way. It humbled me and made me less of a hooligan. I actually felt ashamed for doing that.. stuff to my new mother while I was a baby.

Yes, I liked Wakana. But I could never bring that up. In front of her, I was just an awkward teenager with a huge crush on his best friend. Perks of being a loner with a one track mind in his previous life.

On the day of the finals, I pitched for the entire game. I was the clean up and even hit two home runs. Yet, we lost.

Nobu, the catcher, was not able to catch all of my pitches and there were many fielding errors. I tried my best to keep the morale of the team up but from the look of their faces, they were feeling the guilt.

It was our last game together.

As we were shaking hands with the opponent team, I saw them laughing at my friends who were crying. They even made fun of Wakana for being on a boys team.

It reminded me of canon.

So I thrashed them all in front of the spectators and when the umpires tried to stop me, they too got an ass kicking of their lives.

As I was being pulled out of the stadium by my friends, I saw Takashima Rei, the scout and assistant coach of Seido, smirking and adjusting her glasses while subtley glancing towards me.

I was called to the Principal's office the next day and was scolded for my conduct post game. I admitted to be ashamed for losing to a group of pansies.

What I 'had' forgotten was that with my slap fest, I had ruined my chances of being accepted in any regional school's baseball team.

That was certainly a big blow.

Later that day when I returned home...

"I'm back!"

My grandfather came out of the living room and said, "Oh, Eijun. You're back already? Right. You have a guest.."

"A guest?" I asked as I turned my head to look at him.

"Yeah.. They came all the way from Tokyo just to meet with you!! Hurry up and wash your face and get to the living room!"

A few minutes later, I was sitting opposite to the buxom Takashima Rei while being surrounded by my family. She used to be one of the women of my fantasies and looking at her was surreal.

She slowly slid her card towards us and said while adjusting her glasses, "Nice to meet you. I am Takashima, the assistant coach of Seido High School's baseball club."

Excited, Grandpa exclaimed, "Hey, Eijun! The Seido School from Tokyo is famous amongst the famous!"

I smiled at him and said, "I know that, old man. What I don't understand is why such a prestigious school approaching me of all people. We lost the regional finals, didn't we?"

Rei smirked and said, "I watched the match the other day. It seems to me that Sawamura-kun has unusual untapped potential which he will only achieve with world class training given at Seido."

I never pitched with full effort and I was sure that someone experienced may notice it. 'I guess one can never judge a book just by its cover. She has remarkable observation skills.'

As I was thinking, she continued, "I noticed that for the entire match, you could have thrown faster pitches. You were pulling back. May I know why?"

I chuckle mirthlessly and said, "So you were able to see that, huh? Yeah, I could have thrown faster pitches but the thing is, none in my team can catch them. I held back because I didn't want my team to be demoralized by the difference in our skills. Baseball is a team sport. If I was selfish and threw my best every time just so that I could improve, we wouldn't have won even a single match."

Rei once again adjusted her glasses and said, "Then come to Seido."

I huffed and said, "I doubt there's anyone at Seidou who could catch my pitches."

Grandpa, who was sitting beside me, decided it was enough and smacked me at the back of my head and said, "Stop being so rude!! She came here to recruit you so stop giving her that attitude!!!"

I rubbed the back of my head and shouted back, "What's wrong with that!? I don't see the point of joining a school far away from my friends if their catchers can't catch my best pitches!!"

Rei smirked and said, "Then come with me to Seido and see for yourself. If you are still unsatisfied after that then I'll be out of your hair."

The moment I glanced at her, she raised her eyebrow at me. I couldn't help but chuckle.

'She saw through my facade. Damn.. She is awesome.. and scary. She knew I wanted to join but she played along.'

"Alright, when do we leave."

(PLAYBALL!)

The train ride was.. not much eventful. I did try the old 'slept and fell on the girl's chest' but Rei saw through my plan and reprimended me for being unruly. Yeah, not the best of my behaviors and I apologize for that. I am but a man and men are the worst.

When we reached Seido, I was amazed by the massive size their baseball training facility. It was mind-boggling.

I could feel the smug look on Rei's face as I gazed upon the players working their hardest, fueled by testosterone and adrenaline as they pushed through their fatigue.

The rush, the intensity, it was... intoxicating.

I looked at Rei and said, "This place is wonderful.. but I 'was' serious when I said that I will only join when your catchers are able to catch my pitches. I wasn't being arrogant."

As we walked around, I arrived at the practice area. That's when I heard..

"Hey, you stupid pitcher!! What kind of lousy pitch was that!? You looking down on me? That wasn't even good enough for practice! Give me a livelier throw! If you can't even try, go back to your farmhouse, you shit! I'm losing my edge going against dillweed pitchers like you!!"

I remembered seeing it in the anime yet it still boiled my blood. That was no way of talking to an animal, much less a junior doing his best.

Standing beside me, Rei said, "Kiyokuni Azuma. He hit 42 homeruns throughout highschool so far. At the moment, he's the contender for this year's draft."

*CLANG*

The sound echoed as Azuma sent another pitch flying.

"Huh!? What a lame reply that was! How'd you get this far being such a weak-ass!? You're done already! Somebody throw him outta here! Send him and his weak arm back to his village!"

I ground my teeth together and asked Rei, "You are a teacher here and the assistant coach. Yet, you'll just stand there and let that fat dude bully his junior? You really think he'll make it in the big leagues with that physique!?"

I had said that loud enough for the entire field to listen.

Azuma looked around to who had insulted him and when he noticed that it was me, he stomped towards me like a crazed bull.

I continued, ignoring his charge, and said, "For you to have the gall to demean someone with whom you practice every single day... Has this school forgotten that baseball is a team sport!? Have you forgotten the importance of that!?"

By the time Azuma reached me, I was done saying what I wanted to say. He tried to push me back with his fat body but I didn't budge at all. It shocked him for a moment but he went back to glaring into my eyes.

Rei smirked and pulled Azuma back and tricked him by saying, "Sorry about this, Azuma-kun. This kid just left his friends behind coming here and is from the countryside. He doesn't understand any of this."

But it only added fuel to his arroganceand he said, "So, this is your first trip into the world alone, huh? Should I show you some bating?"

I looked dead into his eyes and replied, "You want some good pitches, yeah? I'll pitch circles around you and you won't even be able to get a single hit in."

So it was set. As I went away to change, Rei addressed Miyuki Kazuya who had volunteered to catch for me.

"Miyuki-kun, give your all when you are catching for him. He says that he will join our school if a catcher is able to catch his pitches. He pitched an entire match of his regional finals and didn't break a sweat. Yet, the opponent team had a tough time against him."

Miyuki looked towards me as I was stretching and said, "Heh.. Insane, going up against odds like that."

As Azuma was warming up, Miyuki and I began our own by catching and throwing the ball at each other.

The ball was different from those used by middle schoolers. It was hard yet with each throw I could feel myself getting used to it.

Meanwhile, Azuma was mouthing off and saying, "What's with that ball? You're worse than the usual lineup.. I'd tap that kind of ball out of the park with my eyes closed!"

I payed him no heed and got on the mound to throw the pitch.

Miyuki started with his mitt positioned at the out-low. It was text book. So, I decided to throw a four-seam, nice and fast, right into the mitt.

The ball spun hard as I threw it how I usually did with Nobu.

Azuma didn't swing at the pitch and then..

*CLAP*

The ball was caught by Miyuki.

"It's in, right?"

As he threw the ball back at me, Miyuki couldn't help but think, 'That was a nice, sharp ball.. nothing difficult to catch.'

Once again, Miyuki positioned his glove in the out-low. But this time, I wanted to take it up a notch.

I swung my arm hard and threw the ball with incredible force.

Like a bullet released from its muzzle...

*BANG!!*

In the next moment, it was already in Miyuki's glove. Azuma couldn't even blink much less swing his bat to hit the ball.

I smirked and said, "I guess you 'can' catch my fast ball."

Everyone around was shocked silent. Rei had her hand covering her open mouth as she couldn't believe how fast I, a mere middle schooler, threw that pitch.

I smirked mockingly at Azuma as his whole face twitched in anger, shock and frustration.

Miyuki then got up and walked up to me. There was no amused smile on his face as before.

"That.. was a very fast four-seamer. You think you can throw another one?"

I huffed and answered, "That wasn't my best. I can throw even faster. Also, I know how to throw many types of pitches if you want me to."

Then I giggled deviously and said, "But I have a better idea. I can throw two variations of four-seam. I am only telling you this because I want to beat that jerk. He thinks he's hot stuff, I wonder how he'd feel when a bunch of fast balls from a middle schooler defeat him."

Miyuki was curious and when I told him about the two pitches, he was more than ready to catch them, if his devious giggling was any indication. It was something he had never heard of before.

As the play resumed, he positioned his glove at in-high and gave a sign of four.

I nodded and wound my arm and threw my best four-seamer right at the edge of the zone.

This time, Azuma had swung his bat right at the moment the ball left my hand. He managed to touch the ball with his bat but the ball flew back into the cage. It was a foul.

The next pitch, I made him swing late with my modified fast ball. The ball gained speed at the plate, as if it had time activating speed boosters in it, and again, it was a foul.

Azuma was getting highly frustrated. My pitches were jamming his swings and he wasn't able to land a clean hit.

My next pitch got incredibly slow at the plate making Azuma completely miss the ball as he swung too early.

(PLAYBALL!)

Later that evening, Rei accompanied me to the train station..

"Nice job today. I think it was a good experience for Azuma. I wanted him to be a little more humble before he became pro."

I was deep in thought. I really wanted to join Seido and throw incredible pitches. Finally, there was someone who could catch the pitches I wanted to throw. But, I also wanted to play with my friends. I was troubled by indecision.

Rei, who had noticed it given the dumb expresion on my face, continued saying, "Tokyo is a battleground with experienced players. No matter how hard you try, it might never pay off. Even so, if you decide you want to challenge our school, contact me. You have the right to choose, after all."

For my entire journey back home, I was plagued by the choices. I was a passionate cricketer in my past life and I had the ambition the be the best. It should have been an easy decision for me. But, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't. Despite knowing how canon played, I was tempted to remain behind and go on a different journey altogether.

There were many thoughts jumping in and out of my mind.. But there was one that remained constant... the sound of my pitch hitting the mitt.. kept echoing inside my head.